It is a snowy night in Quebec. A car creeps along a backroad. Suddenly, a sled slides into the path of the vehicle. This is how Wim Wenders starts his 2015 drama, and honestly, it’s one of those scenes that sticks with you because of how mundane and terrifying it is. Every Thing Will Be Fine James Franco might sound like a phrase of comfort, but in the context of this film, it’s a heavy, ironic question mark.
James Franco plays Tomas Eldan. He is a writer. He’s the kind of guy who wears thick sweaters and stares out of windows for a living. At the start of the movie, he’s struggling with a novel and a crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, Sara, played by Rachel McAdams. Then the accident happens. He hits a child. It isn't technically his fault—the kid just appeared out of the whiteout—but that doesn't stop the guilt from eating him alive.
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The film doesn't do what a typical Hollywood movie does. It doesn't give you a big courtroom scene or a dramatic police chase. Instead, it just waits. It jumps forward in time—two years, then four, then another four. We watch Tomas become a successful novelist while the trauma of that night stays stuck in his teeth.
One of the weirdest things about this movie is that it was shot in 3D. Yeah, you heard that right. A slow-paced indie drama about a depressed writer in 3D. Wenders, the legendary director of Wings of Desire, thought the technology could be used to look "into the soul" of the characters. Most critics thought it just made the trees look nice. But if you watch it closely, the 3D creates a strange distance. It makes Tomas look like he’s trapped in a glass box, even when he’s standing right next to people.
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The Cast That Carried the Weight
While Franco is the lead, the women in the story do a lot of the heavy lifting.
- Rachel McAdams plays the girlfriend who eventually realizes she can't fix a man who won't talk.
- Charlotte Gainsbourg is Kate, the mother of the boy who died. Her performance is incredibly quiet. She doesn't scream at Tomas; she almost comforts him, which is a total mind-trip.
- Marie-Josée Croze enters later as Ann, Tomas's new partner who has to deal with the ghosts of his past.
Franco himself is very... Franco here. He uses that squinty, sleepy-eyed look to show a man who is emotionally shut down. Some people hated it. They called it "inert." Others felt it was the perfect way to play a guy who has literally written his way out of feeling his own life.
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We talk a lot about "cancel culture" and "accountability" these days, but Every Thing Will Be Fine is about the internal version of that. It asks: can you actually use your trauma to make art? Tomas finds that his books get better after the accident. He gets famous because he’s finally "feeling" something, even if he’s just putting it on paper.
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That’s a pretty dark idea. Basically, his career is built on a tragedy.
The movie also handles the surviving brother, Christopher, in a way that feels very real. He grows up to be a troubled teenager who eventually confronts Tomas. It’s not a violent confrontation, but it’s awkward and messy. It reminds you that "moving on" isn't a straight line. It's more like a circle that keeps passing the same landmarks of grief.
Real-World Reception and Where to Find It
When it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, the reviews were, let's say, mixed. It’s got a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes. People found it ponderous. It moves at the speed of melting glaciers. But if you’re in the mood for something that isn't a superhero movie, it’s worth a look for the cinematography alone. Benoit Debie shot it, and the guy is a genius with light and shadow.
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The title is spelled "Every Thing Will Be Fine" (with a space), which is a deliberate choice. It’s not just a general statement that things will be okay. It’s a promise that every thing—every object, every memory, every person—will eventually settle into its place.
If you want to watch it, it’s usually floating around on VOD platforms like IFC Films or AMC+. It’s the kind of movie you watch on a rainy Tuesday when you feel like thinking about the big, uncomfortable stuff.
Actionable Insights for Movie Buffs:
- Watch for the Time Jumps: Pay attention to how the scenery changes in Quebec over the twelve-year span. It’s one of the few ways the film shows Tomas "aging" since Franco looks basically the same in every scene.
- Compare the Accents: There’s a lot of debate about Rachel McAdams’ Quebecois accent. Some find it distracting, others think it adds to the "placeless" feel of the film.
- Check out Wenders' Documentaries: If the 3D in this film confuses you, go back and watch Pina. It’s Wenders' dance documentary where he first mastered the tech, and it’ll give you context for what he was trying to do with Franco.
- Look for the Faulkner References: There are several nods to William Faulkner in the script. Since Franco has directed and starred in adaptations of Faulkner's work (like As I Lay Dying), these are little meta-jokes for the audience.
Every Thing Will Be Fine James Franco serves as a reminder that even the most celebrated actors and directors take big, weird risks. It’s a quiet, flawed, but visually stunning meditation on how we survive the things we can't take back.
To dig deeper into this era of Franco's career, look for his 2013-2015 "literary phase" where he focused on adapting complex novels, as it provides the necessary context for his performance in this film.